The Specials

Nelson Mandela

The Specials, also known as The Special AKA, are a ska band from Coventry, England.

This song was written by Jerry Dammers and produced by Elvis Costello. It was released in 1984, as a single, and peaked at #96 on the UK charts. Of the song, Dammers said:

'I knew very little about Mandela until I went to an anti-apartheid concert in London in 1983, which gave me the idea for 'Nelson Mandela.' I never knew how much impact the song would have; it was a hit around the world, and it got back into South Africa and was played at sporting events and ANC rallies—it became an anthem.'

Lyrics

Free Nelson Mandela
Free, free, free, free, free
Nelson Mandela
Free Nelson Mandela
Twenty-one years in captivity
Shoes too small to fit his feet
His body abused but his mind is still free
Are you so blind that you cannot see?
I said free Nelson Mandela
I'm begging you, free Nelson Mandela
Pleaded the causes at the ANC
Only one there in a large army
Are you so blind that you cannot see?
Are you so deaf that you cannot hear his plea?
Free Nelson Mandela
I'm begging you, free Nelson Mandela
Twenty-one years in captivity
Are you so blind that you cannot see?
Are you so deaf that you cannot hear?
Are you so dumb that you cannot speak?
I said free Nelson Mandela
I'm begging you, free Nelson Mandela
Free Nelson Mandela
Begging you, begging you please
Free Nelson Mandela
You've got to, you've got to
You got to free
You got to free
You got to free
Nelson Mandela
Nelson Mandela
I'm telling you, telling you, telling you
You've got to free, you've got to free
You've got to free, you've got to free
Nelson Mandela